


And They Were Cellmates

by CyborgWrites



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, glitra, past catradora, past glimmadora, past glimmer/bow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 21:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21363193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyborgWrites/pseuds/CyborgWrites
Summary: Ficlet from my tubmlr in which Glimmer and Catra get to know each other in their shared cell
Relationships: Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 116





	And They Were Cellmates

**Author's Note:**

> This is a booboo lil fic lol I just love glitra rn

It's a long and turbulent road to friendship but somehow in the silence of their shared cell, they manage it. It starts with a fight, if you can call something so one sided a fight. Unlike when they first met, Glimmer is the instigator. Throwing Catra's mistakes in her face.

"Saving me last minute means nothing. Don't think this changes anything. What are you trying to pull?"

Catra hardly reacts, too tired after everything.

If anything, this only infuriates Glimmer more and even Glimmer doesn't understand why. She spared Catra's life when the other girl insisted on death. Another thing she doesn't understand. And Glimmer hates not understanding and so this cycle continues every day until Glimmer manages to go too far, a feat she thought she wouldnt accomplish with Catra.

Catra doesn't yell. She doesn't attack. But the soft words are loud to Glimmer's ears.

"Don't you think I know that? They twisted me inside out, Shadow Weaver and Hordak. Turned me into this monstrous thing and none of it was good enough. And by the time I realized I could still be loved I had chased away everyone who had dared to try. I wanted so many things. To be loved. To win. To be respected. But mainly I just wanted to stop the world from being able to hurt me, even if that meant destroying it. I've done every horrible thing to win and none of it was remotely worth it. So, maybe, your majesty, saving you and etheria from instant destruction means nothing to you. But it means something to me. So you can keep yelling at me everyday or you can let me help you get out so you can get back to Adora and Arrow."

They stare at each other for a long moment before Glimmer breaks the silence.

"Its Bow"

"Whatever"

Glimmer learns a lot about Catra. For one, Catra is better at more than just being morally bankrupt. She's fairly good at surviving. The other girl is used to being A) ignored B) talked down to and C) eating shitty food. Of course, she can see the occasional defiance that reminds her more of the catra she knows, but this catra who falls into survival mode does it too naturally for it to feel new and she suddenly feels a sinking feeling in her stomach for all the horde soldiers who dont discover a magical sword that transforms them into a heroic princess.

"So," she says one day, as Catra sharpens her claws on the metal wall, "what was it like, ya know, growing up in the Horde..."

"In the horde..." Catra says slowly, letting out a small laugh. "You mean to ask what went wrong with me and Adora?"

"No! I mean, well... yes, but in general? But you were...friends... right?"

Catra huffs, abandoning the wall to plop down onto the floor.

"We were NOT friends."

"Sisters then-"

"Absolutely not."

"Then-"

"I WAS HER PET OKAY?"

There's a long moment of silence as Glimmer processes what has been said.

"I- I don't understand. The way you both were when she first left... she tried to get through to you and was always so paranoid-"

"Yeah, the same way you'd hesitate to put down your favorite pet after it goes rabid"

"Catra that's not fair-"

"You asked. Do you want my side of it or not?"

Catra looks at her, brow arching expectantly as she pats the space in front of her and Glimmer sits without a word as Catra begins.

"The horde steals us away young. Most of us don't remember from where. Most of us have vague and few, if any, memories of what it was like before the horde."

Glimmer's eyes burn. "What do you remember?" She whispers.

"Fur, lots of purring. Warmth. Eyes like mine. Laughter. Getting scratched on accident by other kids just like me. Watching people train. And then fire. So much fire. After that, Shadow Weaver and Adora became my entire life. I dont even know if Catra was my real name, if it was assigned. Any of that."

Something in Glimmer cracks at that. Child soldiers, stolen from those the original rebel alliance abandoned to their fate.

"I dont know what to say."

"I dont know what I want to hear. Ive never told anyone that before."

"Not even Adora?"

Catra shakes her head. "No."

"You said... you said you were her pet. Surely she didn't-"

"She didn't realize it, no. And maybe that's not her fault but it still isnt okay and Im still bitter." Catra sighs, taking a breath. "You see, Sparkles, Adora was always... special. As such, she was shadow weavers favorite. And she used us to keep each other in check. If Adora and I got in trouble, Adora had to watch me be tortured. If we both did something, I got the blame. But in the same vein, it was made clear that I was Adora's responsibility. She needed to control me, according to Shadow Weaver. And no matter what I did, I was never good enough. Not for the only mother we both had in that place..." and so Catra spends hours recounting every moment.

"And you slept at Adora's feet?"

"Yep"

Glimmer sits in shock, her eyes downcast.

"And Hordak and Shadow Weaver both electrocuted and suffocated you.... and I saw her do it. I knew Adora didnt trust her...and she betrayed my father. But I had no idea she did that to you even when you were so small..."

"She's good at making herself useful. Makes it easier to overlook what a monster she is."

"You don't have to become like her... not anymore."

Catra gives a soft hum, eyes boring into Glimmer's as the young queen finally looks back up at her.

"No I suppose I dont."

"Why didn't you come with Adora? When she asked?"

"Aside from the fact that I didnt trust princesses not to be goody goddies until then?" Catra deadpans, earning a soft kick from Glimmer.

"Her reasons."

"You mean saving innocent lives?"

"Hmm...no. it was more the fact that she saw. She saw what I went through, what was done to me, how I was treated. And none of that convinced her of what I knew since they took me. That they were evil and harsh and manipulative. She didn't see the Horde as evil until she met you. She didn't want to leave until she met you. I had always wanted us to get away together somehow. But the Horde was what I knew and Adora changed her mind about them three hours into knowing you."

Glimmer sucked in a breath.

"Okay, now I see how that might have hurt. You must've felt pretty abandoned after that."

"Yeah.."

"Did you love her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Adora... did you... love her?"

There's a challenge in her eyes as she says "In what way?"

Glimmer, not one to back down, responds in kind. "You tell me."

Catra laughs, its the first time Glimmer hears her laugh in a long time and its the first time she hears no malice in it.

"She was my first love. She broke my heart so I did everything to break hers right back."

Suddenly, Glimmer isnt so sure she wanted that question answered and she has to swallow the lump in her throat, watches as Catra's eyes follow the movement.

The words are out before she can help herself.

"A-And now?"

Catra leans back against the wall, contemplating a moment.

" I suppose part of me always will. You don't forget the first right? But it's not the same. There's too much between us now and even though we sometimes made a good team, we weren't- aren't good for each other."

"I see.."

"So dont worry, she's all yours."

Glimmer chokes and this time, Catra at least tries not to laugh.

"You alright there, Glitter?"

"Adora and I are not-"

"Heh, coulda fooled me"

" I... it's... a similar situation. Minus the history. I... had thought my crush on Bow was love but I love him differently than... than I loved Adora."

Catra grins. "Yeah she hits differently than most. Why the past tense?"

Glimmer sighs. "Not so much past tense. Its just changed. I am willing to be..."

"Morally grey?"

"Sure and she has this need to take care of me and I'm not saying I don't appreciate it but-"

"You're too independent for that?"

"Exactly! Wow you, really get me huh?"

Glimmer doesn't, cant see herself, so she cant see the open smile that Catra can.

"Guess we aren't so different after all, Queen Glimmer."

Glimmer shakes her head.

"Glimmer... just Glimmer."

Catra relaxes, tension she hadnt realized seeping out of her bones.

"Alright... Glimmer."

Something shifts


End file.
